Rhode Island Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan has been placed on six months of unpaid leave after her arrest at a Newport restaurant earlier this month.
Flanagan, 34, was arrested on Aug. 14 for willful trespass at the Clarke Cooke House after police were called when her friend, who appeared intoxicated, refused to leave.
Confrontation Caught on Camera
Body-worn camera footage showed Flanagan repeatedly demanding that officers turn off their cameras, falsely claiming that “protocol” required them to comply if requested.
“I’m an AG! I’m an AG!” she told police during the encounter. As she was placed in the back of a patrol car, she warned officers, “You’re going to regret this.”
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Legal Consequences
Flanagan was arraigned Wednesday and pleaded no contest. She received a six-month filing, meaning the case could be dismissed after that period if she avoids further legal trouble.
Attorney General Peter Neronha condemned her behavior. “She mistreated the Newport Police Department and embarrassed herself, the Office, and frankly me,” he said. “We hold our attorneys to the highest personal and professional standards, and Ms. Flanagan plainly did not meet those standards here.”
Neronha clarified that Flanagan’s claims about police being required to turn off their cameras were false. “She’s humiliated herself,” he told WPRO radio. “I’ve got 110 lawyers. She embarrassed all of them.”
Neronha said he hopes Flanagan takes the suspension period to reflect on her actions. “She has a long road ahead of her, but I believe that in the long run, our worst moments can inspire us to become better people,” he said.
